Posts Tagged ‘steiner’

(Hey, did our representatives just name a bridge span after Willie Brown? It’s hard to tell, as there aren’t any signs anywhere with his name on it posted on or around the bridge AFAIK. So what’s stopping pols from changing the name of the span to honor somebody more deserving, you know, after Willie Brown, you know, moves on and therefore can’t get revenge on whomever?)

Anyway, here’s his real legacy – it’s a tax / fee on the media that he put through because Willie Brown didn’t like what some in the media were saying about him back in the 1990’s.

This is in the Western A, two blocks from the megachurch that’s been associated with WB for more than a half-decade AND two blocks from the former church of “Friend of Willie” Jim Jones:

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Willie Brown wasn’t born evil. Simply, he learned the wrong things from the wrong people* after he came to California.

For some reason, when the SFPD Motor Patrol hands out tickets and/or admonishments to cyclists who blow through the crosswalks of The Wiggle bike route without breaking cadence (they call this an “Idaho Stop,” even though it’s not), that kind of enforcement action invariably gets called a “sting” operation.

But a sting must involve some form of deception, right? And the cops just stand there waiting for cyclists to blow through a stop sign.

So, what gets called a sting aint a sting.

As here with the cabbie. He was speeding, more than most, one assumes, and then he got a ticket.

Here he is on Waller in the Lower Haight last week. See? He’ll park his motorcycle and then stand in the street pointing to offending cyclists and counting out, “1, 2, 3, 4, 5…”

And then everybody gets to wait while he processes all the tickets.

Thusly. Now actually, a couple of these folks were just waiting for their friends, prolly because they didn’t fail to yield prolly because you had Officer R. Scott yelling away:

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Here we go:

Yeah, so I know this is the same thing as last year but I’m surprised to see the sustained nature of this recent enforcement action.

Observations:

1. Officer Scott has a “weakness.” Guess what, it’s sports cars! Owns a Porsche 996 he does. Then he explains that it’s a “modern 911,” which it sort of is.

2. Does he have advice for cyclists? Yes. It’s “SLOW DOWN” and it’s “you should be wearing a helmet” and “you should have your lights on.”

3. Does he also have a lecture? Yes. It’s “that call you just heard on my radio is about an assault with a hammer – I’d rather be answering that call.” See? Its like a guilt trip for all the recalcitrant cyclists of SF.

4. When the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition tells people to take the Wiggle route, is it basically telling them to not stop at stop signs? Yep, pretty much.

5. Do most of the people who live near the intersection of Steiner and Waller approve of this enforcement action? Yep.

6. Do many people coming up and down the Wiggle go too fast for conditions? Yes.

7. Do most of the offending cyclists bother to slow down just a little, you know, to make what’s called an Idaho stop (or a California stop or an Oklahoma stop)? No, they just blow right through. How did this culture develop? IDK, fixies?

8. Is there a way to avoid all this rigmarole by using the Unwiggle, the same basic route but using Fillmore and Pierce instead of cop-heavy Steiner and Scott? Yep.

“I lived on Scott Street, between Oak & Fell during the last traffic circle experiment. Was nearly hit four or five times walking to Haight Street for coffee. That is a very residential neighborhood, one reason it is good to bike through. But also, a bunch of pedestrians should not have risk life and limb to cross the street…”

Indeed, Jimbo! Pedestrians wanting to cross Page would hear a car coming from a half-block away. What should they do? Would the drivers slow down? The peds wouldn’t know. Very bad! All this so that Page could eventually become a “Bicycle Boulevard?” All this so that cyclists wouldn’t have to worry about getting tickets for California stopping? Ridiculoso!]

You know what, SFMTA, do you know what you should be “passionate” about? Do you know what your primary function is? It’s to operate the fucking transit system.

So how well do you think you are you doing, SFMTA? Do you think you all are doing a spectacular job? Really?

So why not this, why not say, “We’re the SFMTA, we’re MUNI and we don’t do a very good job these days but we have a pot of money to spend on the Lower Haight and we think this kind of project would be a good use of taxpayer money.” You know, as an introduction, to build credibility with your audience.

Anyway, let’s get to a few of the more glaring issues with the so-called “Wiggle Community,” fka the Lower Haight.

OMFG, SFMTA, WTF? The intersection of Page and Scott doesn’t have “heavy” vehicle volumes. NOT AT ALL. Also, it’s a simple four way stop. It’s not “confusing for everyone.” WTF are you smoking, you SFMTA hippies?

“Heavy vehicle congestion from drivers using Scott as a cut-through to Fell and Oak.”

OK, as stated, Scott Street just doesn’t have heavy vehicle congestion. Hey, SFMTA! Do you know about the ongoing, daily disaster you all created called Octavia “Boulevard?’ Well guess what. It has “heavy” vehicle congestion. As does Oak, which routinely backs up going all the way up to freaking Alamo Heights. As do other streets intersecting with Octavia due to how the lights are timed. What color is the sky in your world, SFMTA? And what’s a “cut-through?” Is it street? I think it is? How about this, SFMTA, you all name me a street and then I’ll make a up a name for the surrounding area and I’ll call it a “community.” How about the “Ashbury Southern Heights (ASH) Community?” Then, I’ll critercise all those mofos who use the southern part of Ashbury Street to “cut-through” my made-up “community.” And then I’ll blame ALL “congestion” on people who don’t live in the “community.” That’s what you’re trying to do here, SFMTA. Every street in SF is a “cut-through,” using the phrase the way you all use it.

“Haight Street has buses and commercial activity, and is less comfortable for biking.”

Biking isn’t necessarily “comfortable,” SFMTA. And it never will be. I know you all are addicted to spending money, but this rationale is exceptionally weak. It’s right up there with using “transit justice” to justify the wasteful nine-figure Central Subway subway to nowhere project in Chinatown.

“Bicyclists don’t yield to pedestrians, particularly in the downhill direction”

Well, yeah, that’s right. Like Haight and Pierce, for example. I’ll tell you, I’m surprised the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition branch of the SFMTA would allow a publication to come out what talks about enforcement actions and what has a photo of an SFPD officer. I guess this is the SFMTA throwing a bone to the peds?

Anyway, read through the whole seven pages for more SFMTA boners.

Speaking of which, the SFMTA is back with the traffic circles.

All right,about a decade ago, the very same SFMTA was dead-set on putting traffic circles in the Haights, specifically on Page and Waller. The SFMTA said it had numerous studies praising traffic circles. The SFMTA said that “the community” wanted traffic circles. The SFMTA was wrong. The SFMTA had a vote by the neighbors and it lost by about a three to one margin – all 11 proposed traffic circles got voted down. Anyway, the plan was to have them become gardens or whatnot. So, for the SFMTA to list unsightliness as the first reason for the SFMTA’s failure, well, that’s a little disingenuous, IMO. So the reason the SFMTA can now claim it has “installed traffic circles with success and community support” in the Richmond District recently is that the SFMTA didn’t allow a vote. If the SFMTA allowed a vote on any particular traffic circle, the SFMTA would lose. So, no more voting, bingo bango.

This is horse doody:

“Traffic Circles Then & NowIn 2003, the SFMTA experimented with removing stop signs and installing traffic circles at several locations along Page Street. Many residents complained that the circles were unsightly and deprioritized pedestrians, and they were removed. However, in recent years the SFMTA has installed traffic circles with success and community support, using improved outreach, design, and signage.

Are there places in the Wiggle where you’d like to see traffic circles today?”

Is the SFMTA saying that it has “improved” the design of traffic circles the past ten years? Perhaps they’ve done research on the number pi? Perhaps they’re thinking traffic ovals? Traffic ovoids? IDK.

Anyway, just because you lie about stuff, that doesn’t mean people will necessarily believe you, SFMTA.

The 9-month long Page and Waller Traffic Circle Pilot program is coming to aclose, and the Department of Parking and Traffic is holding a public hearingTOMORROW, THURSDAY MARCH 18TH to hear from residents and users of thestreet. This is your chance to voice ideas, concerns, and opinions aboutthis traffic calming experiment. Each of the 11 proposed circles will bevoted on by residents living within a block, and voting will conclude March25th. The circle receiving the highest percentage of votes (over 50%) willbe installed on a permanent basis, with consideration for others that alsoreceive 50% or more of the vote.

The meeting will be held:

6:30pm-8pm this Thursday, March 18thPark Branch Library1833 Page St. at Cole

The SFBC supports the concept of the traffic calming circles, but shares theconcerns of many other residents and neighborhood groups, including Walk SFand the Haight-Ashbury Neighborhood Council, that:

1) there was not sufficient neighborhood outreach or involvement prior tocircle installation

2) more education and public outreach is needed to users of the street toconvey safe and legal behavior at the circles

3) pedestrian right-of-way is being compromised with the current circledesign

Although we don’t think the current design is perfect, we are encouragingour members and other residents living along the Page and Waller corridor toVOTE YES to give the circles a chance to be improved upon.

BICYCLE BOULEVARDS

Given the right education, signage, and enforcement, we believe the circleswill benefit the neighborhood and cyclists by being the first step toward atrue bicycle boulevard on Page St.

A bike boulevard is an innovative bicycle facility that is often applied toresidential streets that parallel major arterials. It consists of threedesign elements:

1. stop signs placed only on side streets to give priority to the boulevard

2. traffic circles installed in at least some of the intersections to slowcars down to 10-15mph while allowing bikes to maintain momentum

3. diverters, barriers or forced turns that prohibit automobile throughaccess on the bike boulevard while continuing to allow cyclists,pedestrians, and emergency vehicles through.

A bicycle boulevard treatment applied to Page St. could dramatically reducethe volume and speed of traffic, and reduce or eliminate stop signs, makingbicycling along Page much easier, safer, more efficient and pleasant. Itwould not “close” the street to cars- drivers would still be able to accessevery point along Page, but using this neighborhood street as an auto cutthrough would be a thing of the past.

Although the DPT is not considering a full bicycle boulevard currently,Thursday’s meeting will be a good chance to voice your support for thisconcept, and build support among local residents.

You can find out more about bicycle boulevards at:http://www.odot.state.or.us/techserv/bikewalk/planimag/ii1e.htm

DPT’s web page on the circles is athttp://www.sfgov.org/site/dpt_index.asp?id=13573

Because of vocal opposition to the circles, it is particularly important forpeople to come and speak at the hearing about the benefits of trafficcalming and a bicycle boulevard along Page St. For more information,contact me (using the information at the bottom of this e-mail).

TALKING POINTS FOR THURSDAY’S MEETING

– There are problems with the implementation of the circles, but the conceptis good. We need better signage (yield to peds pop-up signs, and stopswhere appropriate)

– A full bicycle boulevard (including side street stop signs, circles, anddiverters) will dramatically reduce car traffic on this residential street,prioritizing the street for cyclists and pedestrians.

– Vote yes on the circles!

Thank you for supporting YOUR Bicycle Coalition and an improved bikenetwork!”

*Oh, not really. Actually, after watching on a friend’s big screen (’cause I don’t I have cable ’cause I want the Comcast monopoly to die die die) I had to ride my bike on up to Pac Heights. The city was electric, all over, not just in the Mission and in the Haights.

2. Can you stand crowds of overgrown sorority girls and fraternity boys?

3. Can you stand crowded beer gardens filled with the aforementioned?

If you answered yes to the above, proceed to the Union Street Festival. “

Dude, harsh!

But here’s the retort, from a party-lover, here’s the other side of this perfect dramaturgical dyad:

“SORRY FOR:

(1) PARTYING AND HAVING FUN AT A FESTIVAL

(2) NOT BEING A GRANDMA, and

(3) LIVING LIFE A LITTLE.”

So there you go.

The alcohol drinking used to be totally wide open, and then things got toned down a bit, and now I think even the walled-off beer “gardens” are gone. But you can always join one of the annual beer-fueled house parties, why not?

All right, let’s travel back to years past – here are some shots from yesteryear:

“Now here’s what’s funny when the so-called neighbors who own houses near traditional San Francisco street parties, like the Bay to Breakers Fun Run and the Union Street Festival. Inevitably, some of the actual neighbors, the people what live on the street itself, throw open their doors for anything-goes, beer-fueled house parties.

“Yeah because rock and fucking roll brings the “wilder element.” Yeah I bet it must be nuts when your heehaw ass festival gets raided by tall-can wielding dave matthews fans. Ain’t no dancing in this town bitches! We want to sell shitty ass freeway artwork and braclets made out of old rocks and trash to senior citizens and sweater knots. Fucking dumb asses chewing on shitty grilled meat on a stick can’t hang out in beer gardens or do whatever dumb fucking bullshit it is that they do on their lame ass stoops on Union st. Union street can suck my balls, that shit has been herbfest from the gate, amatuer hour trainwreck can stay gone.”

O.K. then.

All right, get your house partay tickets or invites now. (It’ll be a piece of cake if you are popular/cute enough.)

The perils of post-adolescent Union Street Fest shotgunning. The front of this house faces Union:

That entire residence was filled to the brim with partiers in 2008. Ah, memories.

All right, see you there, or not.

Now enjoy a trip down Union Street Festival Memory Lane:

This thing is biiiig – it will take you a long time to wander about Union:

You know who proved popular was Tom Rigney, “electric violinist, Cajun fiddler, composer, graphic artist, and leader of the American roots music band, Tom Rigney and Flambeau.”

Now they’re renting out A2B electric scooters to tourists. Do people really ride these things on the Golden Gate Bridge sidewalks at 20 per back and forth to Sausalito? People do. Anyway, Blazing Saddles bike rentals was offering test drives.

Suds on the Roof, but much less than in years past. I think a man partying outdoors feels more like a man if he can have a red cup of suds.

“Eco-Urban” Union Street featured a hell of a lot of gas powered Honda generators, but this year, not so much. Originally, I thought this distribution amplifier was a box full of car batteries, but now I’m at a loss at figuring out how this band got its power. If they had a generator, they hid it well.

What’s this?

It’s an overhead extention cord leading from a Union Street business to one of the food vendors in the middle of the street. Is that an extension cord being used as internal wiring? Cough electrical code cough.

Oh, there it is! One of at least two Hondas in operation today.

But at least all the amplified music won’t disturb this slumbering. ear-protected pooch.